I’m always of the opinion that a desktop must be clean and orderly. However, try as I might, I always end up with a billion files (mostly screenshots) cluttering up my desktop. I blame it on the easy access Cmd+D shortcut for saving files. Thankfully, two Mac developers have realised that this is a real problem, and bring us two awesome applications that clear this whole mess.

DeskShade

First, we have DeskShade from MacRabbit (the guys who bring you CSSEdit). This application is more wallpaper oriented. You can set transitions while switching wallpapers, drag and drop pictures to the menubar to switch the wallpaper, and even play a movie as your desktop background.

DeskShade also has a lock feature, which locks up your desktop, much like the built in OS X function does. However, if there is an attempt to unlock the desktop without a password, it will show you a log of when that happened and how many times. You can also set it to lock after a certain amount of time, show a message, and set a shortcut to do so. 

As for hiding the desktop itself, DeskShade does a fairly good job at that. However, its Exposé immunity is faulty, so it will show you the icons when you switch to Exposé mode, and hide any other desktop elements like for instance, my Coversutra album artwork. Which brings us to Desktopple.

Desktopple

The app from FoggyNoggin Software seems much more professional oriented than DeskShade. For one, it can prevent Expose from exposing the desktop icons, and doesn’t hide my Coversutra album artwork (although sadly, it freezes it to a static image). Desktopple also features an AutoHide setting, which can automatically hide the desktop when specific applications are launched. For instance, whenever you launch your screencasting application, Desktopple can take care of your desktop clutter. 

Cover Sets allows you to set wallpapers and settings so that you can quickly switch between preset desktops. One feature that stands out is the Application hiding. It can automatically hide application windows after a set period of inactivity, reducing a whole lot of clutter. You can then set an exceptions list to prevent them from poofing off. 

My Recommendation

You definitely need a desktop hiding application. The peace of mind a clean desktop offers, is something you don’t realise until you do it. And with Stacks, you can easily access files from your desktop, so there’s no excuse for that mess. Both these applications cost the same ($17), so it all comes down to which one you prefer. Best part is, there is a basic free version of Desktopple which provides you the basic functionality of covering your desktop and some hotkey support. 

Personally, I choose Desktopple Pro, as it has better desktop hiding features, and is more for professionals. However, DeskShade is good if you frequently change wallpapers, want to lock your screen, or play a video as your desktop background. Both offer trials, so you can check em out for yourself.